Sunday, July 25, 2004

Call it use or misuse, but in India condoms have apparently found their way into Benarasi silk saris, roads, water containers and more.

They may be distributed free by government agencies in India to check population growth and diseases like AIDS, but safe sex is not what they always get used for.

"Condoms are being used in the finishing of the famous Benaras silk saris; providing a smooth finish to tarred roads; as well as in waterproofing ceilings in India," said a report presented at an international conference in Bangkok....

...[Rama Kant of King George's Medical University], who is a surgeon of high repute, believes not more than 20-25 percent of condoms distributed freely are put to their proper use.

"Naturally, condoms worth billions are being misused across the length and breadth of the country," he said.

"And that is bound to reflect in the virtual failure of the WHO objective to promote the use of condoms for prevention of AIDS and check population growth," he added.(IANS)

These practices should be condemned outright; there is no way to condone them!

About

Just as the West’s exploration of the external world is important to mankind, so too is the exploration by Indian philosophers of man’s inner being. We Indian-Americans have been especially fortunate to have benefited from both. The religious and cultural diversity that surrounds us has also added an important dimension to this experience.
By engaging in an intellectual dialogue, we can draw upon this rich heritage to develop a broader vision of India, the US, and the whole world.